Home for Christmas
Overseas-based Jamaicans joyous at being back in island for Yuletide season
Published:Tuesday | December 24, 2024 | 12:08 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
The overcast skies at Norman Manley International Airport on Monday did not dampen Lennox Johnson’s excitement as he eagerly awaited his ride home to Manchester for the holidays.
It was a moment of pure joy, as this Christmas marked the first time in six years that he would be spending with his family.
By any indication, his family was equally ecstatic to have him home as his daughter, sister, nieces and a grandson he was meeting for the first time, exited the car to greet him.
Dressed in identical outfits, his nieces, Samoya and Michalia Hilton, rushed into his arms, their infectious enthusiasm and smiles brightening his even more.
“Being back home right now is a joy!” he declared excitedly. “There is no place like home.”
Lennox, who works as a plumber in The Cayman Islands, said he is looking forward to engaging in adventurous activities over the Yuletide season.
“Mi aguh enjoy myself – river, beach, get some good pork, ackee and saltfish, roast yam,” he said.
Tyrone Powell has been living and working in The Cayman Islands as a welder for more than 13 years. He said he never misses a chance to come home to Jamaica, but it is even more special at Christmas.
“Every Christmas I have to be home. Grand market night, I have to be in the town and walk all over Mandeville,” he said, while adding that he is excited to see how the town has changed over the last year.
Joan McCarthy, who arrived from Florida, will be having a community get together in Junction, St Elizabeth, to honour her late parents this Christmas Day.
“I am looking forward to it. They (her parents) were so good to other people so we want to celebrate their lives. We invite the whole entire district and wi cooking and doing everything for the district and everybody.”
Travis Elliott, who is also from Florida, will also have a busy Christmas, repairing his grandparents’ house in St Elizabeth, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Beryl in July. He explained that, although his grandparents are no longer alive, the house remains a cherished family home – one rich in tradition and a place where the entire family gathers, especially during the holidays.
“All my other cousins from America came in, so we all meet up this Christmas; it’s a mix – business vacation, holiday, all in one,” he said.
A dual citizen of Jamaica and the United States (US), the 33-year-old said he will also ensure he finds time to attend some parties.
“The US is more family based when it comes to Christmas. Here is like you outside, everybody mix, more reason to party,” he said. “Ain’t really too much the friend-friend hang out.”
That community spirit that embodies Jamaica is why almost every year, for the last 12 years since he migrated, Ferron Legore ensures that he returns home with his family for the holidays.
“Wi tek wi Christmas serious,” he said of Jamaica, compared to Virginia where he currently lives.
“I am looking forward to spending time with the family, everybody go to the beach on Boxing Day – over there they don’t have that.”
His wife, Janel Legore, who is American, said she prefers the Jamaican Christmas experience to that of her native country.
“I like the heat, I don’t like the cold ... the food, and the culture,” she said.